The invention relates to a method for operating an audio/video set as based on hierarchical menuing, the method comprising displaying a first menu string of selectable first items in a first coordinated direction on a screen and detecting user selection among the first items. The invention further relates to an audio/video set encompassing a display arranged according to practice this method.
Examples of such audio/video sets are television sets, HiFi sets, recorders, disc players, etc., inclusive of set-top boxes, remote control devices and similar devices associated to such sets, and hybrid sets, such as, a combination of a TV and a VCR, or with still other devices.
Various categories of the above, such as television sets, are notoriously difficult to operate and, in particular, to program. The number of television channels, functionality modes, parameter settings, image subdivisions, recorder functions and others, are great enough to embarrass most non-professional users. Applicants have experienced that for optimally guiding a user, a limited but explicit amount of on-screen text should be available. Similar arguments apply to various other categories of such audio/video sets. Moreover, nonuniformity among such categories is being experienced by a user as annoying.
By itself, IBM TDB Vol 34, No.8, p.432-433, January 1992 gives a hierarchical menu structure with bulletized strings disposed in vertical and horizontal directions, but absence therein of further displayed specifying information renders such menu little useful for controlling a specific device like an audio/video set for household use.
In consequence, among others, it is an object of the present invention to provide a better concept for a graphics-based screen layout principle for controlling and/or programming an audio/video set for household use, this concept being straightforwardly translatable among various categories of such sets. Now, therefore, according to one aspect, the invention is characterized by the steps of, under control of said detecting of a selected first item, displaying a second menu string of one or more selectable second items in a second coordinated direction on the screen transverse to said first direction and intersecting the first string at the selected first item; detecting user selection among the second items for activating an associated audio/video functionality; and displaying said items in a bulletized manner while annotating by supporting indicativity.
The coordinate directions are often substantially perpendicular to each other, but this is not an express limitation. In principle, there may be three or more coordinate directions within the display plane. The bulletized display may, for each item, realize the associated bullet as a relatively dark disk. Other graphical elements are useful as well, such as diamonds, asterisks, etcetera. The elements may have a uniform shape, but this is not a strict requirement, certain elements may get some highlighting, coloring or enlargement. Even a certain amount of iconizing may be useful. The bulletizing may then indicate localizing and stringing of the items in question. The strings will often be straight, but some curvature could be allowed as well. Now, a particularly instructive element has proven to be the so-called puck, which may contain up to four sectors that may each selectively be xe2x80x9cpushed awayxe2x80x9d upon user-actuation of the item in question: coexistently with this pushing, further information is then joined to the actuated item, whereby a further selecting or actuating may be effected by the user. Further supporting indicativity may be used in the form of an icon, one or more words, or other appropriate, space-saving identifiers.